Please Calm your Son

I froze, but only for a split second. Was this really my child? No way! That wasn’t possible. I didn’t behave this way when I was his age (or so I’ve been told, which by the way, I think my parents lied to me or either they are the King and Queen of having well behaved children).

As I regained my thoughts, I darted up from my seated position on the carpeted floor of the library play room. Someone had left the door open! Who does that? I mean, seriously, why would you leave a door open for a room full of noisey and rambunctious toddlers to run out? Oh, your child doesn’t like to run and be free? Well, lucky you! Mine; however, saw an open door as his chance of freedom and he took it faster than a dog takes a meaty bone.

By the time my foot crossed the threshold of the door, Davey was already halfway through the children’s section of the library, his arms pumping alongside of him propelling him to run harder and faster while the entire time his mouth was open and he screamed, “Aaaahhhhh!” Librarians looked up from their desks, but not a one of them bothered to offer the obligatory “shhh”. Instead they all glared at me, some over their half glasses as if to say, “oh, you’re THAT mother!”

Yes! I’m that mother! I’m that mother with an overly curious 18 month old. I’m that mother with a very active child. I’m that mother who can control her child, but short of sitting on him or tying him down to a chair, I can’t keep him from running, which leads to the next issue.

Apparently, my child is inciting possible riotous behavior amongst the other toddlers. I’ve been informed that I can’t let him run anymore during the storytime or musical jamboree. If I let him run around, then other children will want to follow suit and then it will just be mass chaos. I believe the teacher actually used the term “anarchy”. Are you kidding me? These kids can’t even say anarchy much less know what it means, and yet my child is going to start this? Please!

The teacher went so far last week as to also inform me that if I can’t keep him from running around in the room, then I would no longer be allowed to attend the musical jamboree or storytime. I’m sorry, lady, but it’s the library and my tax dollars pay for this, so unless my taxes are going to be prorated to reflect the fact that I will not be attending the library, then my son and I will be there.

Davey isn’t abnormal, but he’s very independent. He’s not content sitting with me while stories are being read, unless I’m the one reading them. He’s not content with being docile when there are so many other things to explore. I’m not going to stifle my child, but I will do a better job of trying to keep him more interested in what’s at hand.

Fortunately, the doors are staying closed in the classroom these days and my child is quarantined, so no longer am I mortified at the sight of my heathen running through the library screaming at the top of his lungs. Geesh! The homeless people couldn’t even sleep in their chairs with him around!

On a side note, though, should you be trying to conduct storytime and/or musical classes for a bunch of toddlers, please try to keep them involved. Don’t chit chat with each other or to the parents. You start losing the kids, or at least you start losing mine.